Everything You Need to Know About Elton John’s ‘Rocketman’ Movie

Described by Paramount Pictures as "an epic musical fantasy about the uncensored human story of Elton John's breakthrough years," Rocketman is scheduled to open in theaters everywhere on May 31. We've compiled all the information about the movie that's known and put it into the gallery below.

With a script by Lee Hall (Billy Elliot, which John adapted into a musical for the stage), Rocketman has been in the works since at least 2011. It stars Taron Egerton as John, and the actor performed his own vocals in the movie. But he wasn't the first choice. Originally, the singer had wanted Justin Timberlake, who appeared as John in the video for 2001's "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore." By 2013, they had castTom Hardy, who played Bane in The Dark Knight RIses, but eventually dropped out when he realized he wasn't up to the vocal demands of the role.

Rocketman shouldn't be thought of as a typical music biopic. In 2012, John called it "a surreal look at my life, and not just a factual look at my life, more in the manner of a Moulin Rouge! ... I just don't want it to be a normal biopic because my life hasn't been like that."

Egerton expanded on John's words when the original release date was announced. "[I]t’s actually his songs used to express important beats in his life at emotional moments. He’s not the only character that sings. It’s going to be fun. ... I’m going to do it all. I’m going to do it on set as well. We’re going to use a variety of techniques but I will always be singing on set. No miming. I’m just not interested in doing it that way.”

John and model Claudia Schiffer are listed as two of the film's executive producers, and John's husband, David Furnish, has a producer's credit. Read more facts about the film, including brief biographies on the actors in the leading roles, below.